Before You Buy: AMIKA Reset Pink Charcoal Scalp Cleansing Oil Review

Product: AMIKA Reset Pink Charcoal Scalp Cleansing Oil
Price: $25
Where to Buy: Sephora

Using It:

This product goes on dry hair, so start by sectioning your hair, especially if it’s thick. Apply the oil to the roots of your sections and massage into your scalp. Wait up to five minutes, then hop into the shower and rinse the formula. Follow it up with a shampoo and conditioner. You can repeat it weekly.

AMIKA Reset Pink Charcoal Scalp Cleansing Oil Review:

I grabbed a bottle of this cleansing oil along with the Amika Reset Exfoliating Jelly Shampoo on a recent trip to Sephora. I recently colored my hair a deep violet/blue shade of black after exposing it to bleach damage over the last several years, so I was a little scared that it might dry my strands out as it “cleansed.” I tried clarifying formulas in the past, and they made my hair feel like straw.

Despite my hesitation, I rubbed it on my scalp, massaged it in with my fingertips, and hopped in the shower. I missed the step where I was supposed to leave it on for 3 to 5 minutes, so I ended up leaving it on for about two minutes total, including when I massaged water in. The formula is quite thick, so expect to work with it a bit longer, especially if you have a lot of thick hair. It was hard to keep it confined to the scalp even with my ultra-fine texture. After rinsing, my strands felt squeaky clean without the rough straw texture, so I took that as a good first sign.

The scent is a typically pleasant Amika fragrance, but with some menthol mixed in. I’m not a big fan of menthol, unfortunately, but it wasn’t overpowering, and I kept telling myself it’ll increase blood circulation in the scalp and encourage new growth.

I immediately followed up with the Amika Reset Exfoliating Jelly Shampoo, which is a surprising gritty texture that lathers up quickly after exposing it to water. Capping everything off was a normal L’Oréal Conditioner I’m trying to use up. My hair didn’t exactly feel like the softest it’s ever been upon stepping out of the shower, and it left me scared it’ll dry into a giant frizz-ball because all that cleansing was way too harsh and drying.

I let my hair air dry that evening as I continued with my work. Several hours later, I touched my strands and nearly keeled over in surprise. My hair felt perfectly balanced, bouncy and soft! Staring back at me in the mirror were perfectly glossy, smooth strands. I am beyond stunned that something seemingly simple can have such a profound effect on my hair condition. I’m an Olaplex user, so I didn’t think another product could deliver better visible effects after its use. Then, I found this magic in a bottle.

Notable Ingredients

Water, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Menthyl Lactate, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn/Argousier) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower/Tournesol) Seed Oil, Charcoal (Charbon) Powder, Montmorillonite (French French Pink Clay/Argile Rose), Tropaeolum Majus (Indian Cress/Capucine) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Apium Graveolens (Celery/Céleri) Seed Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica (Ivy Gourd/Courge Écarlate) Fruit Extract, Corallina Officinalis (Red Algae) Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem/Margousier) Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem/Margousier) Leaf Extract, Menthol, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Coconut Acid, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance/Parfum, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Isethionate, Tetrasodium EDTA.

• You’ll be happy to know that the extensive ingredients list above is primarily filled with goodies.
• The product contains fragrance, which smells pleasant but could irritate those with sensitive skin.
• The menthol could cause additional irritation in those with sensitive skin, although it also acts as an antifungal agent and a great scalp stimulant.

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Nataliya Ogle

Founder

Nataliya Ogle likes making sure others live to their full potential. She publishes articles on her primary website styletomes.com and works as a freelance writer for other women's interest sites. Her physical body is in New York but her presence can almost always be found online. The internet is her first love.